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WORLD NEWS Wednesday 24 July 2019

S. Korea, Russia differ over warning shots fired at jets

By HYUNG-JIN KIM South Korea said it was the
Associated Press first time a foreign military
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — plane had violated its air-
South Korean air force jets space since the end of the
fired 360 rounds of warning 1950-53 Korean War.
shots Tuesday after a Rus- According to South Korean
sian military plane twice accounts, an unspecified
violated South Korea's air- number of South Korean
space off the country's fighter jets, including F-16s,
eastern coast, Seoul offi- scrambled to the area
cials said in an announce- and fired 10 flares and 80
ment that was quickly dis- rounds from machine guns
puted by Russia. as warning shots.
South Korea said three Rus- Seoul defense officials
sian military planes — two said the Russian reconnais-
Tu-95 bombers and one sance aircraft left the area
A-50 airborne early warn- three minutes later but
ing and control aircraft later returned and violat-
— entered the South's air ed South Korean airspace
defense identification zone again for four minutes. The
off its east coast before the officials said the South Ko- This image released by Joint Staff, Ministry of Defense, shows Russian A-50 airborne early warning
and control aircraft flying near the Korean-controlled island called Takeshima in Japanese
A-50 intruded in South Ko- rean fighter jets then fired Tuesday, July 23, 2019.
rean airspace. Russia said another 10 flares and 280 Associated Press
later that two of its Tu-95MS rounds from machine guns the planes had violated ated Press he believed the Korea says the Russian war-
bombers were on a routine as warning shots. South Korean airspace and incursion could have been plane violated is above
flight over neutral waters But the commander of Rus- that shots were fired. a navigation mistake. He a group of South Korean-
and didn't enter South Ko- sia's long-range aviation "If the Russian pilots had also suggested the inci- held islets roughly halfway
rean territory. forces denied both that identified such a threat to dent would not have se- between South Korea and
themselves, they would rious consequences be- Japan that have been a
Kenya’s finance minister have immediately given an cause "South Korea right source of territorial disputes
appropriate response," Lt. now is not very interested between the two Asian
denies fraud charges in Gen. Sergei Kobylash said, in pressing this into a kind countries. Russia isn't part of
according to Russian news of long-term worsening of those disputes.
dam project agencies. relations." Japan, which claims own-
He said South Korean mili-
The former Soviet Union ership over the islets, pro-
tary planes escorted the supported North Korea tested to South Korea for
Associated Press company denies wrongdo- Russian planes over neutral and provided the country firing warning shots over
NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Ke- ing. waters, which he called with weapons during the Japanese airspace. South
nya’s finance minister is de- The charges allege that the "aerial hooliganism." Korean War, which killed Korea later countered that
nying fraud-related charg- officials conspired to de- South Korea's presiden- millions. In 1983, a Soviet it cannot accept the Japa-
es over contracts for the fraud Kenya’s government tial national security ad- air force fighter jet fired an nese statement, repeating
construction of two dams in the building of Kimwarer viser, Chung Eui-yong, told air-to-air missile at a South that the islets are South Ko-
in the country’s west. This and Arror dams in Elgeyo top Russian security offi- Korean passenger plane rean territory.
is the first time a Kenyan Marakwet county, where cial Nikolai Patrushev that that strayed into Soviet ter- Japan also protested to
finance minister has been no construction work has South Korea views Russia's ritory, killing all 269 people Russia for allegedly violat-
charged while in office. started despite billions of airspace violation "very se- on board. ing Japanese airspace.
Henry Rotich and 14 other shillings already spent. riously" and will take "much Relations between Seoul South Korea said the three
officials appeared in court The prosecution has asked stronger" measures if a and Moscow gradually Russian planes entered the
on Tuesday. for stringent bail terms. similar incident occurs, ac- improved, and they es- South Korean air defense
They were arrested on Corruption permeates all cording to South Korea's tablished diplomatic ties identification zone with two
Monday for their alleged levels of Kenyan society presidential office. in 1990, a year before Chinese bombers. South
roles in awarding contracts and President Uhuru Ke- Pavel Felgenhauer, an in- the breakup of the Soviet Korea said the Chinese
and payments to the Italian nyatta has promised to dependent Russian military Union. planes didn't intrude upon
firm CMC di Ravenna. The tackle it.q analyst, told The Associ- The airspace that South South Korean airspace.q